RIVERSIDE — A low-pressure system will drop rain in most parts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties Thursday, and high winds are expected in the mountains and deserts along with a chance of snow in local mountains, according to the National Weather Service.
The storm system moving to the southeast will bring a period of rain Thursday morning followed by isolated showers until it leaves the region by late Thursday night, NWS meteorologist Miguel Miller said.
“The best chance of rain will be between 8 a.m. and noon (Thursday),” Miller said.
Rainfall totals could reach a quarter-inch Thursday in the Riverside metropolitan area and a quarter-inch to a half-inch in the San Bernardino area, while up to two-tenths of an inch is expected in Lake Elsinore and the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning, according to the NWS.
Idyllwild could receive up to seven-tenths of an inch, and there is a 20 percent chance of measurable precipitation Thursday in the Coachella Valley.
The San Bernardino Mountains, including the Big Bear area, are expected to see between a half-inch and three-quarters of an inch of rain, and there is a slight chance of snow before midnight.Gusty winds are expected Thursday, May 16, 2019, in the Inland Empire.
Gusty winds in the mountains and deserts could cause hazardous driving conditions.
The NWS issued a wind advisory that will last until 11 a.m. Friday for the Riverside and San Bernardino county mountains, the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning and the Coachella Valley.
The winds blowing to the west Thursday are expected to range from 20 to 40 mph, with gusts of 65 mph possible along desert mountain slopes, forecasters said. Wind gusts could reach 50 mph this afternoon and evening in parts of the Coachella Valley.

Powerful winds could whip up sand and dust and create potentially hazardous driving conditions, especially for high-profile vehicles, the NWS warned.
Another low-pressure system is expected to arrive late Sunday morning and could bring a chance of rain through Monday morning, Miller said.
High temperatures Thursday will be 62 to 67 degrees in the Riverside and San Bernardino metropolitan areas, 43 to 62 in the mountains, 71 to 76 in the San Gorgonio Pass and 79 to 84 in the Coachella Valley.